Building named after 1st SEAL killed in Iraq War

The Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Training Detachment Building officially became the AO2 (SEAL) Marc A. Lee Training Center this week. Lee was the first SEAL to be killed in the Iraq War.
— John Gastaldo

The Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Training Detachment Building officially became the AO2 (SEAL) Marc A. Lee Training Center this week. Lee was the first SEAL to be killed in the Iraq War.
— John Gastaldo

When the Navy started construction on a building that now serves as a headquarters to train and prepare special warfare teams for deployment, several people pushed for it to be named after Marc A. Lee, the first SEAL killed in the Iraq War.

This week, after a bureaucratic process that took more than five years, that vision became reality.

On Wednesday, what had originally been called the Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Training Detachment Building officially became the AO2 (SEAL) Marc A. Lee Training Center. A crowd of approximately 200 people, including many of Lee’s friends and family, attended the one-hour ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado to rename the 62,000-square-foot facility that was completed in 2009.

The event took place on what would have been Lee’s 35th birthday.

“As a SEAL and as a human being, he was a real true inspiration to everybody that he knew to be the best and to do their best,” said former Lt. Cmdr. John “Jocko” Willink, one of those who spearheaded the effort.

An Oregon native, Lee played one season of NAIA soccer at The Master’s College, and was slated to have a trial with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer in 1997, but he injured his knee in an indoor game shortly before he was to try out for the professional team. He then became interested in the SEAL program and enlisted in the Navy in May 2001.

It took three attempts, but Lee made it through the initial training. On his first attempt, Lee came down with pneumonia and, against his wishes, was rolled over to the next class. On the second attempt, he dropped out for family reasons.

The third time was the charm, though, and in March 2004 he graduated with Class 251. By July 2005, he was assigned to SEAL Team 3. In 2006, he deployed to Iraq, where he was killed in Ramadi at age 28.

“When Marc died, we all died a little in some way,” Willink said. “And in many ways, we never came home. Part of us is there forever.”

Lee earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among several other awards. He earned his Silver Star on the day he was killed, Aug. 2, 2006, for putting himself in the line of fire to provide cover for his fellow fighters, according to his citation.

“His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives of many of his teammates,” the citation reads.

Two weeks before he was killed, Lee sent home his last letter calling on his friends and family to demonstrate kindness, generosity, humanity, morality and love in their lives.

Debbie Lee, Marc’s mother, read the emotional letter Wednesday. It is now framed and displayed inside the training center.

“The name Marc means mighty warrior, and he definitely lived up to his name,” Debbie Lee said. “But it wasn’t just on the battlefield. That’s how Marc lived his life all the time. He was very selfless, compassionate and determined.”

Several speakers spoke of Lee in glowing terms, remembering an outgoing individual with a first-rate sense of humor and strong work ethic. Former President George W. Bush sent in a letter that was read at the dedication honoring Lee’s sacrifice.

Inside the Marc A. Lee Training Center, there are now numerous items to memorialize the man, including photos, a video, medals, citations, his military uniform and even one of Lee’s old soccer uniforms.

“He set the standard of excellence as a SEAL and really more importantly as a person,” said Capt. Collin Green, the commanding officer of SEAL Team 3 when Lee was killed.

“As a SEAL, he died basically protecting his teammates. And as a person, I think it was his humility, his compassion and his message. For me, his letter really reflects who he was and what he was feeling at the time. I think it was very profound.”

Willink, who was the task unit commander of SEAL Team 3 in Iraq in Ramadi in 2006, said that his inspiration to push for naming the former training detachment building after Lee came from a training center in Imperial Valley. That desert-based facility is named after Billy Machen, the first SEAL killed in Vietnam.

Willink said during his training there, he learned everything about Machen. He wants future SEALs who come through Coronado to learn everything about his friend and teammate.

“In this building that bears his name, warriors will follow his lead,” Willink told the crowd. He later added privately, “They’re going to know how he lived and how he died and live up to the standard that he set.”